The Butterfly Effect
by ThePartyParrot
Summary: Takes place during book 2, One Foot in the Grave. An oncoming storm convinces Randy to call his groomsman, Cris Pin, to help him move into his fiance's house. This causes Cat and Bones run into each other unexpectedly, instead of him ambushing her when he knows they will meet.
1. Chapter 1

Bones

I was sitting with my mate Randy in a bar, him shifting nervously, me drinking my normal whiskey. Lucifer's bouncing balls, I wish I could still get drunk. For four years I had searched high and low for Kitten. Four years since I went out to get us the ID we would need to start a new life together, and came home to a note telling me that she had to leave in order to protect me. That she had been approached by the government and agreed to go to secure safety for me and her mother. That I should get on with my life. That was the bloody best part. 240 years I spent alone until I found her. 5 months with her (and weeks of that with her hating me) that were the best of my life. And then right when things seemed to be coming together, and we were going to run away with each other, she leaves. And since then, 4 years of searching, chasing down lead after lead after lead. I'd finally narrowed her down to probably being in Virginia, but now it was just looking for names in databases, checking up on the deaths of vampires and ghouls in the area, and attempting to drown my sorrows in as much whiskey as the bartender would give me. Like I said, I wish I could still get drunk. Bloody vampire metabolism.

"Cris? Cris? Are you listening to me?"

I broke out of my revelry. Randy had been trying to get ahold my attention for a while now, judging by the annoyed look on his face. Didn't help that I'd given him an alias, I wasn't used to responding to the name Cris. "Sorry mate. Thoughts got away from me. What was that?"

Randy broke out into a wide grin. "I met this amazing girl, and I proposed. I was hoping you would be one of the groomsmen." He looked so bloody happy. Crazy to marry a girl he had just met, but when you know, you know. I'd known from the day I met Kitten. Maybe if I had proposed the day I rescued her instead of putting it off for a more romantic time she wouldn't have left.

"Be glad to mate. Anyway I can help out?" I asked, trying to look genially happy for him, though I was more than a little jealous.

"I'll be moving into her house this weekend. She says she has enough help, but another pair of hands could be helpful. And you are a damn sight stronger than I am. Can I let you know if we need you?" Randy gave me a knowing glance. He knew I was a vampire. Known it since the day he sat next to me in a bar and mentioned that I hadn't breathed for half an hour.

"Sure mate. Just give me a ring."

Cat

I was standing outside my best friend Denise's house, watching her fiancé Randy pull in with the moving van. He carefully backed it up into the driveway as I helped guide him like a Ground Marshall at an airport. Randy jumped out of the driver's side and looked around. "Where is everyone else?" He looked at Denise. "I thought you said you had plenty of help."

Denise nodded. "Cat comes from a long line of farmers, she'll be plenty."

Randy looked skeptical. "I have a friend who said he'd help if we need it." He looked at the quickly darkening sky, and the hundred feet between the truck and the entrance to the house. "Looks like a storm is brewing, I'd like to get as much done as possible before the rain starts."

I shrugged. "Suit yourself." No use explaining a half vampire was all the moving help you need. No need to tell Randy about vampires, he was a nice normal guy. Just let him believe my preternatural strength was due to growing up on a farm. I picked up a Lay-Z-Boy and headed inside.

Bones

I was sitting at the bar when I got a text. 'Looks like we might need your help after all. Thunder storm coming, want to get as much in as we can before it starts.' I tossed a $20 on the bar (still don't quite get tipping in America, so I just always vastly overpay) and climbed onto my new Dukati. I raced off to the address he had given me, enjoying feeling the wind in my hair. There is nothing like being a vampire on a motorcycle. I'm practically indestructible, so no need for a helmet. Now, bugs in the face are still a right nuisance, so I avoid breathing at all. Blunts the sense of smell, but no one wants a case of gnat-nose. I still own a helmet though. I went back for it after ditching my motorcycle in Ohio. There were still a few of Kitten's long red hairs caught in it. I had so little of her; I put them in a small glassine bag and would sometimes leave them on the pillow next to me while I slept.

A couple miles from the address, it started to rain. Thunder rolled in the distance. The air smelled of ozone and dust, overwhelming everything else. The moving truck came into view, and as I approached it I turned into a stop, hopping off while letting the bike slide under the truck to keep it dry. Hey, sometimes I still like to show off. I walked around the truck, and my world stopped.

Cat

Damn, as fast as I'd worked, I hadn't been able to clear out the truck before the rain hit. I got about half of the boxes in (which Denise and Randy were unpacking), and some of the furniture, before it started raining buckets. The air was charged with the threat of lightning, and it seemed to be getting stronger by the second. I grabbed one last box, some computer accessories according to the label, and came out of the truck. I turned around to face the house, and dropped the box.


	2. Chapter 2

Bones

God, she looked as beautiful as always. Her hair was brown now, and her figure had filled out in all the right places. The box she was holding fell out of her hands. I used my vampire speed to catch it, and she winced at the sudden motion. I straightened up, echoing what I'd said to her so many years ago in that cave, when she was still terrified of me. "Think I'd strike you? Aside from teaching you how to fight, I'd never lay a harsh hand on you." Then I stared at her, drinking in the face that had haunted my thoughts, my dreams, nearly driving me mad with missing her. She stared, mouth agape, in the pouring rain. I put the box on the edge of the truck, and wiped away some water from beneath her eyes. It was impossible to tell in the rain, of course, but I'd swear it was a tear.

Cat

This couldn't be real. It couldn't be. I had obviously suffered a head injury while fighting a vampire and was now hallucinating. But that was OK. Because if I was imagining this, it was certainly better then whatever reality had in store for me. He reached forward and touched me. If this was a hallucination, I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to wake up. I refused to wake up. I would play this out like it was real, like what I would do if only this were real and he was here.

Rain ran down my face as the skies poured out onto us. After 30 seconds of staring at each other, I reached out a hand and gently laid it along his cheek, cupping his face. God, he felt so real. "I don't know if you are real or not, but maybe we should get in the truck. I'm getting wet, and I want to see you better." I blushed at that. Damn, years since I've seen him and I still can't stop saying embarrassing things and blushing. It's just like we were back in the cave. Well, aside from being drenched.

Bones

I was a professional whore for years when I was a human, and have nearly two and a half centuries of experience with women. Thousands certainly, tens of thousands potentially. Yet I've never enjoyed a touch from a woman more than when she touched my cheek. I turned my face into it, breathing in her faint, rain-soaked scent and gently kissing her palm. At her excellent suggestion of getting into the truck, I pulled her close to me and jumped inside, not willing to break the contact for anything.

Cat

I kept telling myself that this had to be a dream. Men you love, men you cruelly left, don't just walk around a corner and land back in your life. It doesn't happen that way. But he smelled like him, and I could feel the energy of his aura. I had thought it was the lightning brewing, but it must have been him. I was soaking as well, not a feeling I would generally have in a dream. I could feel the textured floor of the van, and taste the rain that had run into my mouth. There were only two explanations. I was either having the most vivid hallucination in my life, or the hit man who had every reason in the world to be furious with me was now inches away. I stepped back, suddenly afraid.

Bones

The wind was whipping the rain inside the truck, soaking and weakening the cardboard boxes near the door and getting on the furniture. I didn't want to ruin Randy's belongings, so I reached up and pushed the door down, plunging us into pitch black at the same time that she gave a start and backed up. Kitten tensed at the sudden darkness. Her night vision was far better that a human's, but not as good as mine. She knew that, and hated to be at a disadvantage.

"Are you here to kill me?" She asked outright. I winced.

"Of course not. Oh, I'm mad as blazes for you running off like that and leaving me with nothing but a Dear John note and some memories. And I've been offered a hell of a lot of quid to kill the famed 'Red Reaper' cutting swathes through the undead community. But I told you years ago, and I told you two minutes ago, I would never strike or lay a harsh hand on you, unless I was teaching you how to fight. And as angry as I am, that hasn't changed."

She relaxed, slightly. "I didn't think so, but I had to be sure." She looked around. "Is there a light in here? I want to see you."

Luckily I'd been hanging around Randy long enough to know he had a very stinky habit. I took in an analyzing sniff, then walked to a box on top of a stack and opened it, revealing far more Yankee Candles than any person should have. "There we go, luv. Do you want Green Apple, Crème Brule, or Brownie Batter?"

She laughed at that. Bloody hell, I'd missed that laugh. "Crème Brule. It smells kind of like you. Sometimes I thought I caught a whiff of you when I passed a bakery."

I pulled out the candle, and lit it with a lighter from my pocket. The dark compartment filled with a small soft glow. For most humans it would have been nearly useless, but for us freaks it was all we needed. I looked at Kitten, drinking in every detail. I liked her better as a redhead than a brunette, but it was so good to see her again that I really didn't care.

Cat

The reality of the situation hit me, the smells and the touch and the ache in my heart that seemed to ease for the first time in years. This was Bones. I had thought of him every day in the last four years. I had thought I would never see him again. And I had thought my heart would break from it. In the back of my brain the part of me that was always on the lookout for danger was worried that he _was_ here to kill me. After all, I had left him in such a cruel way. And I wasn't surprised there were bounties on my head. There was a reason I dyed my hair and often wore colored contacts. But Bones had taught me to trust my gut, and my gut said that he was almost as surprised to see me as I was to see him, and that he wasn't here to hurt me.

He was still so gorgeous. And those hands…those hands that had done so much to me. I gently reached out and took one, tracing around each of the fingers with my index, then making small circles in his palm with my thumb. He gasped in a breath. No idea why, it's not like he needed to breathe. Something felt so familiar about this scene; when I realized what it was, I nearly doubled over laughing.

Bones

Oh Cain, her touch was amazing. Her skin was so soft, even with the years of fighting. I brought in her smell, it was even more wonderful than I had remembered. It even overpowered the damn candle. Then she started laughing so hard I was worried she would fall over. "What? What is it?" She just laughed harder. "Well, let me know when you decide to let me in on what is obviously a bloody good joke."

Kitten managed to get herself under control and looked around the moving van. "Does this remind you of anything?" At my blank look she elaborated. "Our first job. Killing Sergio." Of course. The job where we then spent an hour in the back of a truck, and told each other our dark secrets. The same night when I'd almost gotten to kiss her for the first time, if our ride hadn't shown up with bloody awful timing. I smiled.

"I think that's the first time you really started seeing me as a person, instead of just a vampire. That's when I started really having hope that I might be able to get you to love me."

Her eyes misted over, definitely not rain this time. "It's when I started to, though it took me a while to admit it." She signed and sat on a chair that was still in the truck. I sat down on a couch across from her, our knees almost touching. Every nerve in me was on fire, and it took all 240 years of learned restraint and patience to not sweep her up, crush her to me, and never let go. But I had waited far too long to see her again to risk having her bolt again.

Cat

My thoughts were tied up in knots. How many times had I thought about this, about what I would say if I had the chance to explain why I had left? I had explained the bare outline of the circumstances in my note when I had left him, but I'd been trying so hard not to cry that I hadn't been able to say much. I was worried that if I wrote down everything I would convince myself not to go.

"I owe you an explanation."

"Too bloody right you do. I thought we were going to start a new life together, and I come home to an empty house. Until I found your note I thought the government had taken you, then I did find it and discovered you had left with them of your own free will!"

God, this was going to be even harder than I had imagined when I lay awake at night in the months after I left. I had relived those last 12 hours in my head so many times I knew every expression on his face, every touch of his hand on my skin that we shared before I left. After I had used his jacket to make it look like Switch's body was Bones' I snuck it out of the holding facility. I had put it around a pillow, and held it while I cried myself to sleep for at least a month. Eventually it had lost his scent, and my nights had become even lonelier.

I took a deep breath and started. The hundred times I had played this out in my head helped, I could just go on autopilot. Just as long as I didn't actually have to look in his eyes and see the hurt there. "The men at the hospital knew all about me. They knew my personal history, my genetics, even my grades. They threatened to go after you, and said that both the mortal and supernatural community would be after us." I struggled to hold back tears as I kept going. This was the hard part.

"At first I told Don no, and then they brought in my mother. And she told me she wished she'd died instead of learning she had failed as a parent, because I was with a vampire. That the darkness had awakened in me, like she was afraid of all these years. That it was your fault that her parents were murdered. That you would turn _me_ into a vampire at the first opportunity. She said she didn't want to see me ever again if I was with you! She just said the most horrible things to me. And then Don told me that he would protect her, and that without that protection vampires would go after her to get to me. Plus, I had just murdered the Governor, and the police don't look too kindly on that."

I stared at the floor. It was oddly cathartic to actually say this, to get it out in the open. "I know the two of us could have run away together, but we would have been looking over our shoulder for the rest of our lives. And my mother wouldn't go with us. You saw how she was for the one day we were all together! She would have run away, and given away our location to whoever she could in an attempt to get you killed. She thinks if you die, it will break the hold you have over me. This was the only way I could think of to keep you both safe. And it's eaten me up ever since." I finally lifted my eyes to his face, afraid for what I would see.

Bones

Several emotions were warring inside of me. I was angry at Kitten, but not nearly as angry as at Don and her mother. She was injured and traumatized, and they had played on her fears for their own gains. What kind of mother would say such a thing to her child? I was also angry at myself for not getting her out of the hospital earlier, or noticing the strange behavior when I left that morning. But beyond that, I ached for her in sympathy for what she had been through and the difficulty of the choice she had been forced to make while incredibly vulnerable. The scent of her grief was filling the enclosed space, even over the scent of the candle.

"Kitten, why didn't you tell me any of this that day? We would have figured it out. You should know by now that you don't need to protect me. And I would never force you to become a vampire, I'd welcome it, but I wouldn't pressure you." Cain, she smelled so good. I desperately wanted to pull her into my arms and stroke her hair, and then I wanted to kiss her and drink from her and show her what she had been missing all these years.

Her gaze locked with mine. "Because I was afraid that you would convince me to stay, and I didn't see how that would work. I knew if you looked at me the way you are looking at me now I'd never be able to leave. And that might get you killed."

Bloody hell, she was frustrating. But so brave and brash. It was infuriating, but that was why I had fallen in love with her. I didn't know if she still felt the same way, but I knew I'd never stop. "Do you still love me? You told me the morning you left that you would love me until you died."

Kitten got a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face.

Cat

Jesus, what do I tell him? Do I tell him that he's still the most important person in the world to me? How can I say that, when in many ways I picked my mother over him? My emotionally manipulative, neurotic, prejudiced, child endangering mother over the man who had tried to heal the damage she had caused. He was the first person to love me for who I was, all of me, including the parts that made my mother despise me sometimes. But in the end, our situation hadn't changed. It still put him in danger. If Don found out I was dating a vampire, especially that vampire who had broken me out, he'd send a team after him and have him killed. I couldn't live with myself if that happened. And as angry as I have been at my mother, I can't just abandon her. The only thing I can do is lie. It's the only way I can keep him safe.

I started to lie, I really did. But I couldn't. The truth came spilling out of my like water breaching a damn. "I still love you. I never stopped. I've been miserable without you. I even took your name and got your tattoo." I flipped down the hip on my jeans to show the skull and crossbones. Then I looked back at him, pleading in my eyes, and his had turned bright green.

Bones

I had been barely holding myself back from taking her from the moment I saw her, but some of that control broke when I saw the tattoo on her hip. It wasn't just the mark that showed that she truly still loved me, it was the simple act of seeing her body. It wasn't even that revealing, wasn't anywhere I hadn't seen on a thousand girls wearing low-riders at a bar or club. But to see her skin, and so close to my favorite place in the world to be, was just too much. I stood up, bent down, and crushed my mouth to hers. For half a heartbeat, she seemed startled. I was so worried that she would push me away. _Please, please, don't push me away. Show me you want this too._

Then she opened her lips and pulled my tongue into her mouth. Bloody hell, I had missed this. She stood as well, then pushed me back onto the couch I had been sitting on. Believe me, I didn't complain. Our mouths were locked together and it was hard to tell where I ended and she began. I could barely believe this was real. Her heart was racing, the sound of her blood rushing in her veins made mine run in a distinctly Southerly direction. She was straddling my hips and had her hands on my chest. Mine were running through her hair, that soft hair that I had missed so much.

And that's when everything got all bolloxed up. I hadn't been paying attention, but the rain had stopped, and Randy and Denise had come back outside. They opened the back of the truck to see Kitten on top of me, pinned down with her hands on me. "Cat, No!" screamed Denise, rushing into the truck. "Don't kill him!" We both stared at her, Kitten straining her neck around to see the open back door.


	3. Chapter 3

Cat

If I blushed any harder I was going to start bleeding out of my pores. Here I was, getting caught by my best friend and her fiancé on top of a man that they think I just met. And Denise thinks I'm trying to stake him. I scrambled to my feet, my ankle getting tangled with Bones' leg and making me tip to the side. Bones reached out with all his vampire speed to catch me, moving in a blur to lift me up and set me on the floor. Denise rushed over to us, still under the impression that she had interrupted a fight rather than a moment of passion. "I know he's a vampire, but Randy says he's not a threat. Please, just listen to me and don't stake him!" I looked at Randy openmouthed.

"You know about vampires?" I asked Randy at exactly the same time as Bones asked Denise the same thing. "Yes" they both answered at the same time. It was funny to a certain extent, but I couldn't decide if I was happy or not they had interrupted us. On one hand, being alone with him felt so _right_. It felt more right than I had felt at any time in 4 years. On the other hand, it would be selfish to try to keep him, and if I had kept kissing him I don't know if I could have ever let go.

I needed to think. I picked up the nearest box (wet cardboard, yuck) and started carrying it into the house.

Bones

Bollox, we had come so close! I'd had her in my arms, kissing her, in the near dark. Ironically, the weight of her hands on my chest had lifted the weight on my heart. Just a couple more minutes and….bugger. I needed to stop thinking about that or I wouldn't be able to remember my own name, let alone figure out how to convince her to let me back into her life. I had seen the momentary doubt in her eyes. She wanted me, her scent had told me that, but she was still hesitant. But at least I knew she still loved me. I would have been willing to die to find that out, a few minutes loading boxes and furniture was really a small price to pay.

In no time we had the truck cleared out. I wanted to go to Kitten's home, or bring her to mine, but she said she had to go to the dress fitting with Denise. I think she wanted some time to think on her own. I'd give her that, but I was _not_ going to lose her again. Before she and Denise left I beckoned her into a small bathroom under the stairs. I wanted to smell her as much as I could before she left, and I wanted her close to me.

"Promise me you aren't going to run again."

"Bones, I…"

"Promise me! I've spent 4 years searching for you and I won't lose you again. You don't need to protect me. I'm a bloody Master vampire and I can take care of myself. I'm not scared of a team of humans, even if you did train them. There is only one thing I'm scared of in the world, and that is losing you."

Kitten closed her eyes. "I've missed you so much too. But I can't just fall back into bed with you. If I sleep with you, I won't be able to think." I grinned at that. "So I think we should take it slow." Less grinning. I ached for her so much my teeth hurt, but there was no way I was going to bollox things up when I was so close. I had waited for 4 years to see her again. I could wait for a little more until she welcomed me with open arms, and open, well, you know.

"Whatever you need Kitten. But I want to see you again. Soon."

She nodded. "I want to see you too. I usually finish up work around 7:30 unless we have a mission. Those come up unexpectedly pretty often, but let's make a tentative plan for 8:30 tomorrow."

"I'll pick you up then. Dress nicely, I want to take you someplace fancy. It's been so long since I've see you dolled up." We traded numbers and she gave me her address. I kissed her hand as she left, resisting the urge to give her a lick between her fingers to remind her of what I could do with my tongue. There would be time for that later, and I wanted to make sure she didn't run. As she left the house I pulled out my phone and called to make a reservation.


	4. Chapter 4

Cat

Denise waited about .3 seconds after we got into the car before turning to me and asking "What the hell was that? And what about Noah?" I hurriedly put a finger to my mouth. Bones could almost certainly hear us from inside the house. I shook my head in the direction of the road, signaling that she should drive.

After we were at least 5 miles from the house I answered. "He and I were together when I lived in Ohio. I loved him, and had to leave him. If I didn't, either he or my mother might get killed. It's why I didn't date for so long." Shit. I had to break up with Noah. I'd been thinking about it for a while, but with Bones in town it was imperative for his safety. Normally Bones wouldn't hurt an innocent human, but he had never been particularly rational when it came to me. Who knew what his vampire territorialism might make him do.

We pulled into the parking lot for the bridal shop. We were actually a little early. Even with the break for the rain and….other activities, a vampire and a half vampire can clean out a moving van pretty quickly. As it happened, the shop was only about half a mile from Noah's Furry Ark, and he was on duty tonight. Thank God, because if he hadn't been working he would have been helping with the move, and I really didn't want to think about what would have happened if Bones had walked in on the two of us together. "I'll be back in a few minutes; I have something I need to do." I dashed off, Denise calling after me.

I opened the door of the vet's office and walked inside, hoping he wasn't with a furry little patient. He was, I could hear him through the door of the examining room. "Oh Kitten, you're so beautiful. Do you want me to pet you?" I froze at his words, before I realized he must be doing an examination on someone's new pet. I didn't really have time to wait for him to finish, so I knocked on the door and stuck my head in.

"Hey Noah, can I talk to you for a minute?" He looked surprised to see me, but gave the small ball of fur on the table a quick shot, then excused himself.

"Hey, what's up? Is there an emergency? I mean, you've never just shown up at my work without Helsing before."

I took a deep breath. _Just rip off the band-aid, it will be quicker and less painful in the end._ "Yeah, I just have to tell you, this isn't working out. You are a really great guy, and you will make some girl really happy, but that girl isn't me. I'm sorry." I started to walk out.

"Wait! What brought this on so suddenly?" He looked genially surprised.

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter. It's not going to work, I'm sorry Noah." I rushed out the door, leaving him with his mouth open, not giving him a chance to respond.

The nice thing about dress fittings is you have a lot of time to think. The seamstress and Denise fiddled with the dress, and I just had to give the occasional nod or sign of approval. My feelings were playing havoc with my stomach. I really wanted a Gin & Tonic, but had to make due with water. After what was probably a couple hours, but seemed like years, the dress was finished. It was amazing and gorgeous and fit Denise to a T, but I couldn't bring myself to care much.

Denise didn't say much to me as she drove me home. When we pulled into the driveway she turned to me before shutting off the car. "Look, I don't know what is going on between you and Cris, but you know I'm here for you, right? I'll support whatever decision you make. But I will say that for as long as I've known you you've had an air of sadness around you. You hide it well, but it's there. Tonight was the first time I didn't sense it. I think that for the first time since I've known you, you were happy."

A good friend is a valuable thing. I gave her hand a squeeze before I let go and went into my house. I spent the night tossing and turning, and the bed seemed bigger and emptier than ever.

The next day at work I was a wreck. I completely missed the contents of a meeting with Don and Tate over potential new recruits. I put my lunch in the microwave for 30 minutes instead of 3, making it nothing more than a charred mess that smelled suspiciously like slain vampire. I broke 3 pencils by tapping them so hard against the desk that they cracked. Finally I just decided that the day was obviously a waste, and went to wardrobe to look for something to wear on my date. At home all I had were work clothes and comfy stuff to lounge around the house in. I never dressed up unless I was bait, so Uncle Sam picked up the tab for my sluttier wardrobe. I searched through the racks until I found the dress I was looking for. I had found it when looking in a catalog for bait clothes, and insisted on it. It was a halter dress, almost knee length. It was nearly identical to the one I wore on our first date. True, the date had been a disaster, what with the drugs slipped in my drink, the attack from a vampire, the nearly being drained, and the death of another innocent girl. But it had also been the first time in my life I had gone out just for fun. The first time Bones and I had danced together, the first time we had truly kissed and the first time I had really felt lust for him. As awful as much of the night was, the memory of spending time with Bones with the purpose of something other than killing was a good one.

I showered at work to save some time, and headed home slightly early. Years of practice of dressing myself up as bait made me much faster at it than I used to be. At precisely 8:30 I heard a knock at the door. I took a deep breath, opened it, and nearly choked on how good Bones looked. He was wearing an indigo suit, his skin shining in contrast. His hair was windswept in a way that made me long to reach up and smooth it out, and he had just enough stubble to be irresistibly sexy. And he was wearing the long leather coat I had bought him as a Christmas present 4 years ago. It looked just as amazing as I thought it would. "You know, if you hadn't wanted to be a hit man, you really could have gotten a job as a GQ model."

He smiled at my compliment. He held out his arm and led me onto the porch as I took it. "Think I'll pass Kitten. I don't need anyone looking at me but you."

 _Oh Shit. This is going to be harder than I thought._


	5. Chapter 5

Bones

When Kitten left the small bathroom at Denise and Randy's it was finally possible for me to think clearly. Possibly the first time I had thought clearly since that terrible day when she ran. I was still hurt, no doubt. I don't know if I'd ever recover from the wound she gave me by not trusting me with what was going on. But I also know Kitten, and she would only have done it if she really thought she was protecting someone. The fact that she had given herself my name and tattoo showed she really did love me after all this time.

I came out of the bathroom as the car pulled away. Denise mentioned the name 'Noah' before getting suspiciously quiet and driving off. Randy looked at me apologetically. "Dude, I'm so sorry about that. I didn't know Denise knew about vampires, but when I made a joke about you grabbing a snack in the van, she ran off to make sure Cat didn't kill you. What the hell was that all about, anyway?"

"Long story, mate. I'll tell you sometime, but at the moment I'm knackered. I'll see you at the wedding, OK?" I slipped out the door before he could answer and followed Cat and Denise on my bike. I wanted to know who the hell 'Noah' was.

They went straight to the Bridal Shop, but once they got there Kitten jumped out of the car and started running. Curious, I followed her on foot. Yes, yes, I know. Super creepy. My only excuse is that letting her out of my sight before had caused me unimaginable pain. Following her while she ran brought back so many memories of running in the woods, me trying to toughen her up for the danger of the world around her while secretly enjoying the view. Soon she went into a storefront that said "Noah's Fuzzy Ark". I had a guess who that might be. I stood outside, listening but out of sight, and nearly ran in and tore his head off when I heard the words "Oh Kitten, you're so beautiful. Do you want me to pet you?" It was only hearing her knock on the door and ask to speak with him that saved his life. The building was full of the smell of animals. Must have been talking to an actual kitten, the 4-legged kind.

The breakup was short. About 15 seconds or so. She rushed out of the building so quickly I barely had time to get out of sight before she could see me. I watched until she was back at the Bridal Shop, then I went home. I had a Christmas present to open. After she had left I went back to her apartment to get anything of hers that I could. Clothes that still had her scent, an old teddy bear, and the jacket she had hidden from me. It was already wrapped with shiny emerald green paper and a big red bow. It was so tempting to open it then and there, but I held off. I'd wear it when I saw her again. I'm hell on clothes, and I didn't want it to get destroyed in a fight before I found her. Tomorrow night I could finally use it.

I wanted the evening to be perfect. As much as I wanted to grab her, pull off all her clothes, and take her in her living room I knew that wasn't a good idea. I'm pretty certain that I could persuade her, I always did love the convincing part. But in the long run it would be far better to respect her boundaries and let her make up her own mind in her own time. So instead I planned a lovely evening. Dinner at a nice restaurant, then dancing at a club about an hour away. Not an undead club, the Red Reaper shouldn't be making an appearance there when she didn't have to, and I didn't want people to recognize me either. Ian had decided he wanted her for part of his 'collection' and being seen with me might give her away. I found a place with a feature she might find interesting. Nice dance floor, good drinks, and a little something special to remind her why she should be with me. Plus, It had lots of woods around it if she decided she wanted a nice moonlit stroll with me (hey, a guy can dream). A long car ride would also give us time to talk without eye contact. Sometimes the best conversations happen in a car. And if she was tired and wanted to lean against me on the way back, well, that could be arranged.

I slept as late as I could that day, wanting to have all the energy I could that night. I had made all the plans I once I woke up, then tried to find things to do. I went shopping for new clothes and had a quick snack from the helpful sales clerk. I cleaned the house in case she came home with me. There wasn't a lot of stuff _to_ clean, but the place could use a good dusting. I had rented the house after I had narrowed the search to Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. I'd used government travel records after vampire slayings that had her signature to guide me. Danny Milton had narrowed it down to one state in the only useful thing he had ever done in his life.

I smiled at the memory of leaving him with Rodney. Kitten been most upset about the fact that he had abandoned her, but her description made it clear she hadn't wanted to have sex with him, even if she hadn't thrown him off. It was still rape, and I have no sympathies for someone who forces themselves into another person, especially if that person is so inexperienced they don't know what happened to them. It wasn't just the fact that she was a virgin; it was that she had never even had a friend before. Her peers feared her, her mom resented her, and her grandparents were bloody judgmental. She would have done anything just to have someone really like her, and Danny took full advantage of that by pushing her into sex when she wasn't ready. I always said I didn't come in when not invited. That didn't just mean the door was not actively barred, it meant it was flung wide open and welcoming.

I was in place for about an hour before I was supposed to be there. I just couldn't find anything else to do and I wanted to be close to her. I paced around, looking at my watch every 30 seconds or so. At 8:29, after checking myself in the side mirror of the car (she had kept the car!) I walked to the door.

If I had still had breath, she would have taken it away. Yesterday she had been in sweats and a t-shirt; exactly what you would expect from someone planning on moving boxes. But tonight she was radiant. Her hair was in soft waves; her makeup was understated and perfect. But it was what she wore that gave me real hope. The dress was nearly identical to what she wore that night I tricked her into a date. That night had gone to hell pretty quickly, but for a little while she treated me as a man instead of a vampire. Again, I had to resist the very strong urge to press my lips to hers. Instead I held out my arm to her in a way that hadn't been fashionable in decades. I didn't care. If Kitten could touch my arm through a shirt, suit jacket, and leather coat it was far better than holding any other woman in the world while we were naked. At least she seemed to approve of how I looked. Said _I_ could be a model, as if she wasn't the most ravishing woman in the world.

As we walked to the car she stroked the leather of the jacket. "It looks as wonderful on you as I hoped it would. I can't believe you went back and got it."

I glanced at the Volvo. "Well, you kept your Christmas present, didn't you?" I grinned. I had imagined a far more romantic presentation of my gift than on a highway in the wake of a 40-car pileup while carrying the body of her unconscious mother, but sometimes circumstances just don't work out the way you want them to. I'd make up for that when I proposed. At least that I could do right. Though first I needed her to be willing to get back to where we had left off. A proposal on the first date in 4 years seems to be jumping the gun a bit, even for someone who could survive bullets.

Cat

This taking it slow thing was really going to test my resolve. But I needed to think with my head, not my sex drive. Bones opened the driver's door, lifted his arm to give me an unnecessary boost, and got into the passenger side of the car. We couldn't really ride on his motorcycle without messing up the hair I had spent so long on. He programed my GPS, then watched me as I pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. I followed the electronic directions, occasionally glancing over at him. It was odd how shy both of us seemed to be. There was a time when we would spend hours talking in between the even better hours of not talking. Now neither of us seemed to know what to say.

"How is Spade doing?" I tried, hoping it was a safe topic.

"He's doing alright. Haven't seen him that much, but he put me in touch with a bloke who helped me get access to some databases before I met Randy. That helped me figure out you were probably on the East Coast."

Shit. Finding a neutral topic to talk about was going to be even harder than I thought. Trying again I asked "Have you taken any jobs lately?"

"Not too many. I was too busy tracking you down. But I kept an eye out. A few times quite a price went up for the famed Red Reaper."

I wasn't scared, but I was curious. "What did you do?"

"Took the jobs, of course. That got them off the lists of open bounties. Tracked them down to whoever posted them, got whatever information they had about you. Then I played ball with their heads."

I gulped a little at that. Bones could be as gentle as a spring breeze when he wanted to, but he had the capacity to be a tornado as well. And when I was threatened, I had seen him be quite cruel.

"You know, most guys just get their girlfriend's flowers, not the heads of their enemies."

Bones glanced at me. "If I'd had an address for you, I would have delivered the whole bloody Rose Bowl parade."

Yikes. I walked into that one. I gave up on conversation and turned on the radio. At least the restaurant was coming up in just a couple of minutes.

I pulled into the parking lot, and as I was undoing my seatbelt Bones jumped out of the car, rushed around in a blur or speed, opened my door, and held out his arm again. I hooked mine in his as I lightly stepped out of the car.

The restaurant was a swanky steakhouse. When we walked in the door Bones slipped an envelope to the Maître De and said "Russell, party of 2." The man bowed obsequiously and led us to the back. I was surprised when we passed by several empty tables. The eyes of every woman in the room glanced at Bones, and several of them stayed for quite a while. I clutched his arm a little tighter, my vampire possessiveness rearing its head a little bit. We were led into a back room that was probably meant for private parties. It was nearly empty, aside from one table set up at the edge of the dance floor. Candles were lit already, there was a gin & tonic on the table, and a waiter stood nearby. He looked like they do in the cartoons, with a tux and a cloth draped over his arm. Bones asked for a whiskey and the waiter left quickly.

Bones pulled out a chair for me. His fingers brushed my back as he pushed it back it. I could feel the power rolling off him with even that slight touch. He sat in his own seat and smiled at me. "Do you like it?

"It's lovely. How did you arrange the private room?"

"You'd be surprised what you can get by flashing green, Pet."

"You put the whammy on the waitstaff? When did this happen?"

He chuckled, that soft sound that seems to caress my ears. "No luv, just a well-placed bribe. This evening, I want to be as alone as you are comfortable with. And I want us to be able to talk without having to speak in code for the benefit of other diners." He gave me a gaze that took in my full appearance, appreciative but not leering. He reached across the table and put his hand down within easy reach of mine. I laid mine on top of his, wrapping my fingers under his palm and giving a gentle squeeze.

Bones

I had told the restaurant about what time we would be there, and that they should have a Gin & Tonic waiting on the table. Every 10 minutes they should replace it with a fresh one so the ice didn't melt before we got there. I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect, and the huge tip I promised ensured it would be. Even at a really nice place, a thousand dollars spread among a few staff guaranteed amazing service.

It really is incredible how intimate hands touching can be, considering how often humans shake hands with each other. Kitten holding my hand gently across the table felt better than I could have imagined a decade ago. It brought back memories of when I used to hold her' while telling her my fantasies of what I wanted to do to her back in the cave. Sure, I had been doing that to help toughen her up for her role as bait, but it also had just been bloody good fun to see her eyes when I told her things I wanted to do to her. Eventually I had even gotten to do most of them too, though my imagination was always coming up with new ideas. And 4 years of celibacy had only made my imagination more active.

The waiter came up with my whiskey and asked if we were ready to order. Kitten ordered the Catfish Tuscany, I ordered a steak. "And I want it so rare the thing should still moo when I cut it." He nodded and left, and I grinned at Kitten. "Catfish? Really?" I grinned at her dark humor.

"Oh yes, I love eating catfish." _You aren't the only one, Kitten._

"So what has your life been like? What do you do at work? Or would you tell me but you'd have to kill me?"

Kitten pondered for a moment, her face crinkling up in a way that was just adorable. "Technically it's classified, but I'm assuming you won't tell people of I spill the beans. It's honestly not that different from what we used to do together. If we hear of a place where disappearances have happened, or there have been reports of strange goings on, I get dolled up and go in as bait. If I find a vampire, I lure them out of the club and take them out. I've got my team there as backup, but lots of the time they just do the cleanup. It's great not having to bury the bodies anymore."

My mouth tightened, but I didn't say anything. I'd hated it when she went after vampires like that when I was tailing her, never letting her out of hearing range. But having humans as backup? All it would take was one wrong move and Kitten would be gone. My stomach clenched at the idea of what would have happened if she had died on a mission and I'd never found her. Would I have known? Would something inside of me have snapped? Or would I just keep searching, looking over and over for a woman who was lost. I shuddered at the thought, an action that is pretty rare for a vampire.

Cat

As we talked, conversation got easier. We had to stop when the food came. My fish was delicious, and Bones even seemed to enjoy his steak. I suppose it still tasted a bit like blood. I told him more about my work, how important it was to me, and about my team; Juan, who flirted with anyone with two X chromosomes between the ages of 18 and 60. Cooper, who called me a freak to my face with all the affection of a guy joshing his kid sister. And Tate, who had been on my team the longest, and who was one of my best friends. I didn't mention Tate's drunken confession, or that he had been the one to help take me away from the hospital. Those details could come later. He told me about some of his adventures before we had met, all the travel he had done and things he had seen. Apparently he'd had a phase as a mountain climber. His story of climbing Mt Everest with no equipment but his old denim jacket and a very large bottle of whiskey was hilarious. He'd even saved another climber who had slipped and broken a leg. A quick sip of vampire blood and a strong green-eyed suggestion to take up knitting as a hobby instead got the person back to base camp, and presumably off mountains for good. I'd never forgotten how good Bones looked, how good he felt, how hard his…OK, off track. Think about something else. But somehow the memory had faded of how much fun he could be to talk to.

After a while, my curiosity got the better of me. "What about Ian? I suppose you talked with him after we had our…um…encounter."

Bones actually laughed at that. It was full and hearty, and I had missed the sound so much I could barely stand it. "That's one way of putting it Pet. Now, it did let me know you were still alive and kicking. And I do appreciate you not killing my Sire, but it means you attracted his attention. Very clever to send me that code, but now he thinks you hate me and that I hate you as well. Ian collects the rare and precious, and there is nothing in the world more rare and precious than you."

I blanched. "Yuck! I'm assuming there's no chance he wouldn't want to just put me on a pedestal and leave me alone, is there?"

"Afraid not, pet. I tried to convince him you weren't worth the bother, but I don't think I succeeded."

"Damn. Hold on, how did you try to convince him I wasn't worth the bother?" I gave him a penetrating glare. His eyes actually looked away.

"Um, I might have told him that your person hygiene was lacking, that you snored, and that you were a terrible shag. I didn't mention that you were a cover hog, might make him decide to just toss you into a room so warm you would want to sleep naked."

"You said what!?"

"Now Kitten, I was trying to convince him that it wasn't worth the effort to go after you. I seem to have had little success, but at least he won't suspect that I'm protecting you. I'm not too worried about Ian, but there is something that does worry me."

I stared at Bones. He was paranoid and overprotective by nature, but something in his voice told me I really wouldn't like what would come next.

Bones

I'd hoped that we could delay this until at least the end of the date, but Kitten would not appreciate me withholding information and she really should know. Sometimes I actually miss breathing; a long sigh can give you some time to think. "I told you there were contracts put out on you. I took care of most of them. But there seems to be one still floating around and I can't trace the bloody source." This one had popped up a couple months ago, and I had tried my damndest, but whoever it was had been very careful. I knew trying to convince Kitten that she should spend all her time with me to be safer wouldn't go over well. She was brave and clever, she'd be careful. Reminding her of that would just be patronizing. _Though if I could convince her to move into my house, that wouldn't be so bad now, would it?_

Kitten nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you for telling me. I'll keep an eye out. Luckily where I live is a secret, as well as where I work. That should help make it trickier to come after me."

The waiter appeared and asked if we would like some desert. Apparently the place was well known for its berry cheesecake. Kitten ordered some, I passed. When it came, Kitten ate small bites of the berry-covered confection, the juice staining her lips deeper red. She licked them to clean them off, her face having that look of rapture that was my favorite thing in the world to look at, especially if I was the cause. Was a bit of a blow to the ego to see the same thing caused by cheesecake, but watching her eat it was so erotic I could feel my eyes flash green. She didn't miss it either, and gave me a knowing smile. Hazard of being a vampire, the eyes can be as embarrassing as a hard on for a human man, and a lot harder to hide by sitting down. But her scent had changed subtly. She wanted me too, though she seemed to be trying to suppress it. _Take as long as you need Kitten. When you're ready, I'll be waiting._

After she was done tantalizing me with the cheesecake I called for the check. I left another massive tip, then held out my arm to walk her back to the car. When she took it, I got my first real glance at her left wrist. "Is that the watch I…." I looked in her eyes, trying to discern the truth. When she hadn't pressed the button, it was almost like losing her again. That was when I had the disastrous night with Annette. I would have to tell Kitten about that as well, and I didn't relish the idea at all.

She met my gaze with her own, and there was pain there. "I didn't find out about the watch until days later. I wasn't at work that day, and didn't hear about it until it was far too late. When I found it….God, I was so angry that I hadn't been there. I don't know exactly what I would have done afterwards, but I know I would have pushed the button. I couldn't have stopped myself." Her eyes pleaded with me to understand.

I didn't say anything, though I felt another small weight lift from my chest. She hadn't ignored me. She hadn't been in Chicago at all. Bloody hell, if my heart felt much lighter soon I was going to have trouble not flying around the room, and I hadn't clued Kitten in on that part of my powers yet. I laced my cool fingers in with her warm ones as we walked back to the car.

The drive over was wonderful. We talked of our lives, steering clear of the subject of her leaving. As she drove I watched her face in rapture. Her silhouette against the night riding by was strong and perfect. I told her more stories of my time before her, including a description of a truly bad judgement call involving a Flock of Seagulls haircut in the 80's. She kept glancing at me, trying to picture it and giggling. Before I knew it we were pulling up to the GiGi Club.


	6. Chapter 6

Cat

I checked the GPS as it said I had reached my destination. "We're going here?" I asked.

Bones nodded. "I hear they have the best Gin & Tonics in the area, and a killer DJ."

Killer DJ is right. There were rumors of disappearances from here. The team was actually planning on hitting this club next week. "It's not a coincidence we're at a place that might be a vampire hunting ground, is it?"

Bones shook his head, then pulled some silver knives out from a pocket and handed them to me. "I know you care about your work, taking out vampires that prey on people. I thought you might enjoy a reminder of how that's what we used to do together. If you are going to be hunting vampires, I want to be at your back, rather than a bunch of humans."

I knew Bones hated it when I put myself out there as bait, but hated it more if he wasn't keeping an eye on me. I think this was his way of showing me that he accepted my new life, but wanted to be a part of it. I had to resist the urge to pull him to me and kiss him, but if I did I had a feeling we would never leave the car.

"Same plan as always?" I asked. He nodded. "Alrighty then. Let's kick some undead ass. I pulled off my panties and put them in my purse. I got out of the car, Bones staring at me open mouthed.

"Kitten, do you always take your knickers off before a job?"

"Well, yes. You told me it would lure them in more. Isn't that true?" I gave him a glare. Vampires can't blush, but they can look embarrassed. "Bones?" I said, some menace in my voice.

"Well, luv, I might have stretched the truth a tiny bit. Certainly some vampires are turned on by it. Me, for instance. But I can't believe you've been doing it all this time."

"You asshole!" I punched him in the arm. He could have blocked me, but he didn't.

"Now Kitten, I never intended for it to last this long. And it probably did help some of the time." His look was full of mischief. I didn't feel like fighting him over it. It was too good to be near him. I started to walk to the entrance, Bones by my side in a blink.

"I do believe you owe me a drink for that." I said as we showed our ID at the door.

"And I will be happy to oblige, Kitten. And after that, how about a dance?"

Bones

The inside of the club was pretty standard. Dance floor, music far too loud for undead ears, and vastly overpriced drinks. Oh, and some vampires trolling for snacks. I could feel their presence in the air. They weren't here now, but had been recently. I left Kitten to scan the crowd and went to get drinks.

I sidled up to the bar and caught the eye of the bartender with my green gaze. "A gin & tonic, and a whiskey, neat. Quickly, if you please." The bartender scuttled off quickly, returning with the drinks in record time. I paid, made a quick stop at the DJ booth, then walked back to Kitten. I handed her the drink, and whispered in her ear, "We haven't met. My name's Crispin." It was what I had said to her on our first date.

She smiled at me. "My name's Cat."

"Cat, huh? From where I stand you look more like a Kitten." It was fun to replay some of the first words we had spoken to each other, all those years ago when I had her chained up in my cave. She was so brash and brave, almost daring me to kill her. She even challenged me to a duel, an act of true insanity on her part. It made me fall in love with her then, and I fell in love with her more each day.

We finished our drinks right as the song I requested came on. _Still Here_ by the Digital Daggers. It was slow and intense and had a beat that could almost be called a waltz. I held my arms out to Kitten, and she wrapped hers around my chest. I settled my cheek on the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. Cain, she smelled good.

 _Every night, I dream you're still here.  
The ghost by my side, so perfectly clear.  
When I awake, you'll disappear,  
Back to the shadows  
With all I hold dear.  
With all I hold dear.  
I dream you're still here.  
I dream you're still here._

While the thing I missed most about being with her was holding her while she was sleeping, this was pretty good too. Her hands were around my back and her cheek lay against my non-beating heart. I could feel her own heartbeat as she held me. It was like coming home. There was nowhere I belonged in the world more than in the arms of this magnificent woman. The only problem was trying to control my desire. At my age, an accidental hard-on is rather embarrassing.

Cat

Since I was 16 I've been fighting for my survival. I've been bait for vampires more times than I could count, and staked even more than that. Vampire death has been my life. But there is nowhere I feel as safe and relaxed as tucked in Bones' arms. His chest was cool, especially compared to the heat on the dance floor. The music was haunting, and applicable to the yearning we had felt for each other. We swayed, just enjoying being with each other. How could I have ever even _thought_ of leaving this man? Let alone running off with no notice and completely disappearing. I rubbed my head against him slowly as we swayed. I felt a soft kiss, achingly tender, on the top of my head, and I sighed contentedly. It was clear I couldn't go back to life without him. I'd been miserable these last 4 years; I'd filled my life up with work, but little else. Don and my mother would just have to deal; I would not continue to run my life according to what _they_ wanted. I was about to lift my head to tell Bones what I had figured out when I felt him stiffen.

"They're here." He said.

Sure enough, three vampires had just entered the bar. Two of them, a man and a woman, had humans in tow. While most people would just assume they were drunk, to someone in the know it was obvious they were under vampire power. The third vampire was alone, but scanning the crowd. I pulled away from Bones reluctantly, but if I was going to play bait, it wouldn't do to have him see me dancing with another vampire. I glanced at Bones out of the corner of my eye and gave a slight nod. We would play this just like we used to.

I strode up to the vampire, who was chatting up a blonde at the bar. "Hey, sexy" I purred at him. "Want to buy me a drink?" He gave me a quick glance, then went back to the blonde. Hmph. I'd have to try a little harder. I pulled out my panties from my purse and slapped them on his chest. "As soon as I saw you, I knew I wouldn't be needing these." Now _that_ got his attention. He turned from the blonde, and looked me up and down with a predator's glare. The woman looked a little put out, but I'd just done her the biggest favor of her life.

"Well then Sugar, how about you and I find a place to be alone?" the vampire said in a voice that I assume was supposed to be appealing and sexy. It was only years of practice that kept me from grimacing from the sliminess in it. Instead I took his arm and said "Lead the way."

Bones

This is always the part I hate the most. Look, intellectually I know that Kitten is just pretending to be attracted to other men. And I know that she's not really in much danger; I trained her well she's lasted this long even with humans backing her up. I know that any vampires who paw at her aren't going to live long enough to cherish the memory. But _bollox_ I hate it. Especially since I haven't seen her in so long. Seeing her with another man made my room-temperature blood boil, and the thought of losing her in battle when I'm so close to getting her back made my useless stomach clench.

But I had given this a lot of thought. I trained Kitten to fight because I knew I couldn't stop her, and I figured the more I taught her, the safer she would be. Similarly, if she fought vampires with me, she would be less likely to leave again. So I sat back and watched as she pressed her knickers into the chest of some ponce when I hadn't gotten a look at them myself! Lucky bastard, I'd rip his stones off just for that.

He led Kitten to a door in the bathroom hallway. It was hard to see in the darkened club, and close enough to the speakers that any screams wouldn't be audible. The other vampires and their human companions followed shortly afterwards. I pressed my ear to the door, waiting to find out what was going on. If they just wanted a quick sip, we'd let them live. If they tried anything beyond that, well, seeing Kitten in battle was a hell of a thing to watch.

And there was the sound of skin ripping. They weren't having a light snack, it was a full on Thanksgiving dinner. I broke into the room, then another one behind it, to see Kitten already had one down and was taking care of the second. "Bones, heal him!" she yelled, pointing to the man on the floor. His throat had a sizable hole in it. I cursed, then bit my wrist and dribbled the blood over the wound, then into his mouth. His breathing eased and the holes closed up.

Kitten was magnificent, just as she always was. In the few seconds I spent healing the man (I'd rather have helped her, but if he died she'd be brassed off), she had thrown two knives into the female vampire, then flipped Mr. Knicker-toucher over her hip and was kneeling on his chest. "Now then, how many of you are there?" she asked casually, as if inquiring what brand of gin they served at the bar. He just grunted at her, struggling to throw her off. He wasn't successful. Kitten took another silver knife and stabbed him in the chest with it, about one inch from his heart.

"Best answer her mate. Else I'm likely to take up a new hobby of juggling with your stones. Reckon if I kept ripping them off I could get a nice set." I almost wished he wouldn't cooperate. No-one should have Kitten's knickers but me. And the look he had given her was worthy of his death on its own.

Kitten flicked the knife lightly with her finger. "Let's try this again. How many of you are there?" The vampire looked in terror from her to me, then laughed. I spun around and saw that in my haste to get into the room I hadn't closed the door. There were people standing outside, staring at us. _BolloxBolloxBollox._ Someone screamed, and a lot of people panicked. I suppose seeing people stabbed and crumbling was a bit more than most people were ready to see on a weeknight. One of the faces had eyes that were glowing green. A vampire, but a very young one considering I couldn't feel her aura. Maybe only a few weeks old. Not enough to be a threat to either me or Kitten, but plenty to be a threat to a human. She grabbed the nearest person, a guy that looked like he was a rugby player. He was a decent sized human shield, and looked shocked that a girl half his size had overpowered him.

"Let me go or I rip his head off" the vampire said. She was a scared animal backed into a corner, and those are always the most dangerous. I'd rather her not make the poor sod 9 inches shorter, so I raised my hands in a placating gesture. She wasn't the real threat. I could feel two other vampires behind me now, trying to flank me.


	7. Chapter 7

Cat

While Bones ran to try to control the situation in the bar, I kept working on my little friend. "Let me explain something." I said in a calm tone. "I'm the Red Reaper, and that magnificent man out there is my boyfriend. You might have heard of him, his name's Bones. Now, you can either tell me how many of you there are, and I kill you quick. Or you don't, and I let him have you. I should probably mention he's the jealous type, and he REALLY didn't like you getting ahold of my panties before he did.

It isn't really possible for a vampire to turn pale from freight, but this guy made a good effort at it. Bones had a reputation for never bluffing, and the line about juggling his testicles had been pretty graphic. "SIX! There were six of us. Please just kill me!" Well, when he asked so nicely I was happy to oblige. I twisted the knife in his chest, then ran out the door to the dance floor, making sure to close it so more people didn't see the carnage. The sight on the dancefloor was disturbing. Bones was facing a tiny vampire holding a large guy in front of her as a shield, her hand on his neck. The people had formed a large circle with them at the center. And there were two more vampires in the crowd behind Bones. The ones in the crowd had some power behind them, the one in the circle barely registered. At least the gang was all here.

I slowly circled behind one of the vampires in the crowd. My mortal side hid my own power, so he shouldn't feel me. When I was right behind him I made a flying leap, landing on his shoulders like I was a kid being held aloft at a parade. I grabbed his head and twisted it around 180 degrees, leading to the awkward position of his head being in my crotch and getting a full view. Hope he wasn't paying much attention. Then I pulled up, yanking his head and spinal cord off of his body. It collapsed under me, but I managed to land on my feet, still holding the head that was rapidly losing its shocked expression.

Bones

Bloody Hell. That was the second vampire in 10 minutes to get a glimpse of what should have been _mine._ At the rate we were going, she'd have to shag some bloke before I'd even gotten to properly kiss her. But it was amazing to watch her fight. She'd gotten even stronger in the last 4 years, and far more confident. In the melee, the last vampire had circled around and gotten out the door. I was still trying to figure out how to get the poor bloke away from the baby vamp without her killing him.

Kitten ran out the door after him, I wanted to follow, but this vamp was really unstable. Maybe talking her down would help. "Look, luv. You really don't want to do this. There is only one way you are getting out of here alive, and that's if you let the bloke go."

"How do I know you won't kill me if I do?" she said in what could only be called a squeak.

Oh bugger. "Because I'm a man of my word. If you let him go, and don't hurt anyone else, then we can work this out. You don't have to kill people in order to feed. Did those blighters teach you that?"

She shook her head. "They just grabbed me one night and then I woke up in this little room and I was so hungry. So they put a couple people in a room with me and I….I." She started to cry, her tears streaks of pink on her pale cheeks. "I didn't want to hurt anyone, I swear. But I couldn't stop myself!" Bugger. I wanted to go chasing after Kitten, but this girl might be salvageable. It didn't surprise me that the tossers operating out of this club had changed a girl without her consent, but it was still infuriating. Made me wish Kitten hadn't finished them off so right quick.

"You said you were in a small room. Was it here, or somewhere else?" With any luck, there was a vampire proof room somewhere in this building. That would let me keep her locked up while I went chasing after Kitten.

"It was here. I almost _never_ get to leave here."

That was a relief. Maybe I could salvage this after all. And then kick myself for thinking vampire hunting was a nice romantic date. Should have gone with a movie, or ice skating or something. "OK, this is how it's going to work. First, let the guy go. You're terrifying him. Next, you are going to show me that room, and I'm going to keep you there while I go get my…" And then it struck me. When I'd been on the dancefloor and Kitten had been back in the office, she had referred to me as her 'boyfriend'. How could I have missed that? _Yippee! She wanted to give it a go! Oh, I could barely wait to reacquaint myself with her filled-out curves, and to taste her…OK, got to get my mind out of the gutter. Plenty of time for that later, assuming she was OK._

Baby vamp looked concerned that I had stopped talking. Rugby player looked like he might piss himself, and the crowd was anxious. I held out my hand to her. "Show me where it is, and then I'll come back for you after I take care of the bastards who did this to you. I'll make sure you're OK, I promise. As long as you hurry and don't hurt anyone."

She looked conflicted, but let the guy go and took my hand, leading me to a room in the basement. It's not unusual for a vampire home to have a room to keep a new vampire in. The door was solid, and locked from the outside. I closed it, then went tearing out of the club. As I cleared the door, I heard a sound I hadn't heard for over 4 years. A distress page sent from Kitten's watch.


	8. Chapter 8

Cat

While Bones handled the hostage situation, I went tearing after the older vamp. He knew the woods well, but I'd had a lot of experience running over rough terrain as well, due to Bones' lessons. I was slowly catching up to him after miles of running when I lost the trail. I looked around, trying to figure out which way he had gone. We had left the woods, and were now at a construction site. That meant a lot of places to hide. I reached out with my senses, trying to feel his power. I felt him above me just half a second before he crashed down where I had been standing. Wood splintered around us from the force of his attack. I spun to meet him, landing a roundhouse kick to his jaw that sent him spinning.

As he tried to get up, I stomped hard on his hand. This meant he couldn't fight as well, unfortunately, I stomped too hard and my foot went through the plywood, immobilizing my leg as wood shards and nails impaled it. The vampire grinned and turned to run. He didn't get far. With a far clearer line if site then I had had when we were both running in the woods, I was able to throw my last two knives into his heart, his momentum carrying his shriveled body along for several steps after he died.

Adrenaline now fading, I had to figure out what I was going to do. My leg was worse than scratched up, I was pretty sure it was broken. I'd also need to be pretty careful about not making it worse when I extracted it from the floor. I'd dropped my purse when fighting back at the club, so no cell phone. Honestly, why couldn't anyone make a nice dress with a pocket? Some of us depended on being able to carry things.

OK, Bones would come for me eventually, but who knew how long it would take to talk down the baby vamp. But I was starting to get lightheaded. I looked at my leg closer and realized that I must have nicked an artery. Blood loss was going to be a serious concern in a couple of minutes. Shit. I was too close to having him back to die now. I ran my hands through my hair, and felt a slight tug. The watch, I was wearing Bones' watch. I'd grabbed it from my desk drawer at the office to wear tonight, so I could explain why I hadn't used it in Chicago. As I started to get seriously woozy, I pushed the button, hoping like hell it was still connected.

Bones

 _Please, please, please let her be OK. I'll never forgive myself if she's hurt._

It was faster to track her scent than to use the GPS. I streaked through the woods, ignoring the branches that scratched my face. They would heal, but who knew if she would if I didn't get to her in time. I followed her scent for about five minutes, when the trail hit a construction site. I nearly tripped over the shriveling body as I saw her, her leg punched through a ragged hole in the floor. She was holding herself up, but her arms were trembling.

In a blink I was by her side. I bit my palm savagely and put it over the gash in her leg. She leaned against me, murmuring softly. She was really out of it, and from the smell had lost about three pints of blood.

"It's OK, Kitten, I've got you. You're going to be fine." _Please let her be fine, please please please._

She seemed to become slightly more coherent as the blood worked, but she still looked woozy and pale. "I have to call the team to come clean up. Unless they intercepted any 911 calls. They may already know. Yeah, I bet they know…"

"Stay with me, Kitten. Here, drink this." I re-cut open my hand any put it to her mouth. At first she grimaced, then started licking slowly. It was so erotic I could barely stand it. I re-adjusted her so her back was to my chest, my arm wrapped around her so she could drink. It felt warm and familiar. I shrugged out of my coat, just taking my hand away from her mouth long enough to get it out of the sleeve and to re-open the wound. I lay the coat over her like a blanket, trying to trap the little body heat she had. Her head leaned against my chin, and her hands rested on my legs. She moved her fingers in tiny circles on my thighs. I breathed in her scent as her heartbeat got stronger. When it seemed she was out of the woods, I wrapped my arms fully around her my cheek pressed to hers. She turned her head towards mine and gave me a light kiss, then fell asleep, sagging against me.

Cat

When I woke up I was in a strange bed, the blanket wrapped around me tightly.

"Still a cover hog I see." I turned to see Bones. He was on his side, leaning on one elbow. He was wearing drawstring cotton sleep pants, and nothing else. He looked magnificent. "I think this is what I've missed most, holding you while you slept."

I was so tempted to roll over and take him in my arms, but I knew what that would lead to, and I could see sunlight streaming through the windows.

"What time is it?" I asked sleepily. "How long have I been out?"

"About noon, and probably since about midnight. That was a nasty gouge you took last night. You should sleep more, you need rest." He reached out a finger to stroke a lock of my hair.

"Trust me, I want to. But I need to go home to get a shower and some more clothes."

Bones got a wicked grin. "You could always shower here. I have a nice one, its big enough for two."

God, that was tempting. "I can't. I need to go to work and clean up the mess from last night. I'm assuming my team got there after I passed out? What happened after I ran out of the club anyway?"

"I talked the baby vamp into surrendering. She was only a few weeks old, and was changed against her will. None of this is her fault; she didn't know that she _could_ feed without killing. I left her in a vampire proof room at the club while I ran after you, then came back and got her after I knew you were safe. I had a mate in the area I left her with. He'll take care of her."

I extracted myself from the blankets and realized I was still dressed in last night's clothes. My leg was fully healed, with only slight streaks of blood on it. I looked at Bones in surprise. "I'm still in my ruined dress. I would have thought you would put me in some sweats or something."

Bones shook his head. "If I saw you naked for the first time in over four years, but couldn't have you, I would have ended up ripping a hole in the wall out of frustration. I do admit to cleaning up your leg myself before I moved you. You took a lot of my blood last night." That explained why my leg was partially clean, but still felt gross.

I sighed heavily. There was nothing I wanted more than to jump on Bones and jump his bones, but I had to get to work. I would have to figure out what I would tell them about what happened last night. And I didn't want them to know Bones was back in my life.

"I'd better go, or I'll never leave. It's going to be hell at the office for a couple days, I doubt I'll be able to get away. I think the next time I can see you would be the wedding. Can you wait four days?" The words were out of my mouth before I thought about their implications.

"Sadly, Kitten, I already know I can wait much longer than that."

Bones

When I had carried Kitten back to her car, it was all I could do to keep from crushing her so close to me I might hurt her. I had licked clean her leg; I could have grabbed a quick drink from some random dancer at the club, sure, but it had been so long since I had tasted her. I kept my eyes down though. No use in riling myself up more than I already was until I could do something about it.

At the club I retrieved her purse, then wrapped her up in my coat and lay her carefully across the back seat of the Volvo I had bought for her years ago. It smelled like Kitten and a mixture of five different kinds of takeout food. Seems she still hadn't learned to cook. Not that it mattered much to me, not like I needed a varied diet.

I pondered what to do. I could probably get baby vamp into the car and docile, but with Kitten still smelling like blood I didn't want to risk it. Luckily, I'd been searching long enough in the Richmond area that I had a few friends in the area. I called up someone who owed me a favor or two. "Hey Stripes? It's Bones. I need your help, got a newly turned vampire turned my some murdering arseholes, and I've got something on my plate, so I can't take her in. Can you play foster parent until she learns to feed safely?"

"Sure man. Just tell me where."

I gave him the address, but told him to meet me a mile up the road. Kitten was right, her team would be there soon and I wanted to be away when the shite went down. I drove the car two miles down the road, ran back to the club, and grabbed the girl. She still looked shocked at what was going on, but she came with me willingly. We waited where I told Stripes to meet us, and I explained to her what was going to happen. She nodded at everything. Seems she'd had a pretty traumatizing short life as a vampire, and I was glad to get her away from that place. As we were waiting, a large group of black SUVs drove by. One was driven by the same guy who had shot me when I rescued Kitten years ago. Well, well, well. Seems her team _was_ there, and he had stuck around even after being used as a human juice box and shuttlecock.

Stripes showed up within 20 minutes and took the girl with him. He's a good bloke, and a patient teacher. I was glad he was in the area, made my life far easier not having to deal with her while I still needed to tend to Kitten. I waved as they drove away, and then rushed back to the Volvo.

Kitten was sleeping peacefully where I had left her. She looked so much like an angel I had trouble believing she was real. I kissed her softly on her forehead, made sure she was strapped in safely but comfortably, and drove back to the house I was renting.

After I settled Kitten into bed I spent the whole night watching her. This was where we both belonged, in bed together while she stole the blanket. I wanted so much to wake my Sleeping Beauty with a kiss, but after that much blood loss she should sleep. I didn't really need to though, so I spent all night watching her, and breathing constantly so I could revel in her scent.

In the morning I had hoped she might decide to stay and we could remind each other of what we had been missing, but she insisted on leaving and going to work. I wasn't surprised, but it was bloody frustrating. After she left I laid back and had some excellent fantasies about what heights I would bring her to when I got her to bed. I had four years' worth of fantasies in the back of my brain. I'd need weeks to work them all out.

The next four days dragged by almost as slowly as the last four years. I'd spent so long looking for her, and now I knew where she was, but couldn't do anything. I admit I spent far more time breathing than I usually do, since the bed finally smelled like her. I'd been aching for that since I left Rodney's house. The bed in the cave I had torn to pieces in anger, I just couldn't bear to see it without her in it. Too many memories.

I filled my time with Court TV and helping Randy with last minute wedding prep. Kitten sent me texts saying that things were awful at work, but that she was handling it. Apparently they had been worried when there were reports of her and another vampire, but they couldn't find her at the club. Still, she would see me at the wedding. Oh, and her mother would be there. Hopefully she wouldn't recognize me immediately, since my hair was a different color and she hadn't spent much time with me while conscious. Wouldn't want her to start screaming during the ceremony.

After a week that I'm pretty sure lasted a couple of ice ages the wedding day arrived and I would finally get to see her again. She was holed up with the bride beforehand, so I didn't get to see her until the ceremony started. I stood at the front of the church, looking bloody good if I do say so myself. There are few things that make a man look more classy than a tux, and I'd spent the money to make sure it was tailored to fit me exactly. The lady at the tux store had made some gracious (and graphic) offers that old me would have been happy to take her up on, but aside from taking a quick sip from her wrist I declined.

The bridesmaids walked in slowly, doing that ridiculous step-pause that wedding parties always do. There was a cousin of Denise's that kept giving me a look that said she considered me dinner. Well that would be bloody annoying. Finally Kitten walked up the aisle. She looked radiant, resplendent, ravishing, and a whole mess of other adjectives that begin with 'R'. I couldn't keep my eyes off her as she walked slowly towards me. I allowed myself the fantasy that she was in a white dress, walking up the aisle in our own wedding. That I was the groom instead of Randy. I considered proposing later tonight, but that would still be too soon. I was _not_ going to scare her away again.


	9. Chapter 9

Cat

Damn, he looked good in a tux. It showed off his broad shoulders and narrow waist and made him look practically edible. It took all my willpower not to run down the aisle and tackle him, then drag him to a side room and rip the tux off him with my teeth. But that might disrupt the ceremony. So instead I walked up the aisle slowly, and took my place next to where Denise would stand. Bones was a couple of people away on the groom's side, but with the way we were standing we were almost looking in each other's faces. He had a glazed look on his face, like he was daydreaming.

Denise entered the room and everyone stood to watch her. I should have as well, but I couldn't take my eyes off Bones. And he kept looking at me with that far away expression on his face.

I should have paid more attention to the ceremony, it was my best friend's wedding after all, but I just couldn't stop staring at Bones. His pale skin seemed to glow in the brightly lit room, especially against the deep, inky black of his tux. I had to be reminded to grab the bouquet from Denise, and I kept throwing him looks. Felicity was standing behind me, and I think she was also giving him the eye, and the idiot couldn't even tell that she wasn't the one he was staring at.

After the ceremony there were tons of pictures to take. Felicity kept trying to squeeze next to Bones, pushing her breasts up against him. We didn't give any outward sign of affection towards each other, but our fingers curled together whenever our hands were hidden from the camera's view.

Bones

All through the wedding I kept imagining, wishing, dreaming that it was ours. What would have happened if I had proposed to Kitten after we had been dating two weeks, and we had married after six?

She looked so perfect (except for her hair being the wrong color. The Brunette Reaper just didn't have the same ring to it.) I couldn't wait for the ceremony to be over so we could talk and dance. I'd managed to arrange it so Kitten and I were sitting next to each other at the head table. Felicity was on my other side, constantly hitting on me. It was annoying, but I was polite to her. I kept throwing Kitten glances during dinner, and we traded half smiles as we ate our meals and cake. We even played a bit of footsie under the table, as if we were teenagers chaperoned by our parents. I wanted so much to take her in my arms, but I thought it would be best if Kitten's mother didn't know who I was yet. Yes, she'd find out eventually, but I'd rather that Kitten and I were actually dating (and shagging) so she'd be less likely to capitulate to her mum.

I made sure to spread out who I danced with during the reception. Felicity kept winding her way into my arms, and Kitten was technically paired with the best man for the night, but we did get a couple dances in. It was wonderful to hold her close, breathing in her scent. It was all I could do to keep my eyes from blazing as I held her. And let's just say the ability to send my blood to my feet and hands instead of my groin saved a bit of embarrassment.

Cat

After the cake was cut and the dancing was over I was confronted by my mother. I knew this would happen eventually, but was hoping it would be AFTER the wedding. I pulled her into a bathroom so she wouldn't make a scene.

"Cather..I mean Christine! I didn't see Noah, so I gave him a call to see where he was and he said you'd dumped him a few days ago. Just told him it was over and ran out! What in the world had gotten into you? You finally meet a nice guy instead of that filthy animal and you dump him!"

"Mom, this is not the time to talk about that." I was frantic with trying to get her to stop talking. I really didn't want her making a scene.

"Oh, yes we _will_ talk about it now. It's time to stop mooning over that murdering fiend and settle down with a nice boy like Noah. I thought you would have learned better by now, you have to keep the evil inside you from coming out!"

Bones

I was standing outside the ladies room, eavesdropping on Kitten and her mother. I was going to let them work it out, but not once I heard her insulting Kitten. I opened the door quietly and slipped inside as she was berating the bravest woman I had ever met for her supposed evil.

"Hallo, Justina."

Considering that Justina wasn't half-vampire, she certainly jumped high in the air. Would almost have thought she could fly. She stared at me, open mouthed, then fumed "YOU!"

"Yes, me. The one who made your daughter happy, remember? The one who tried to undo all the damage you inflicted on her with your vampire-hating shite?"

She spun back to face her daughter, her voice rising even more. "I thought you were done with your whoring when you left him. Seems you just postponed it."

Bloody _hell_ no. I whipped myself in front of Kitten, shielding her from her mother's gaze. I hope Justina didn't see the look of stunned hurt in Kitten's eyes, but I did. I stared down at Justina from my considerable height and let my eyes blaze green with anger. My voice was soft though, soft and _very_ dangerous. "Justina, you can insult me all you want. I genuinely don't give a shite. But you will treat your daughter with respect. You keep blaming her for what someone else did to you almost 30 years ago. And you left her nearly broken and aching for attention and affection from _anyone_. You left her vulnerable to that arse Danny Milton, and to Don when he came calling. Your prejudice against vampires and desire to kill them means you put your daughter in harm's way every day since she was 16. Your hatred could have gotten her killed, and it took her away from the man she loved. She's been miserable and alone most of her life, but for the past four years she could have been happy and in love. But you'd rather she be killing vampires with humans who can't protect her, rather than killing them while shagging one who can. And that makes you one of the most selfish people I have ever met. Considering who my sire is, that's quite an accomplishment!"

Justina's mouth dropped open, then she seemed to get an idea and smiled.

"Don't even think about it, Mom." I heard Kitten say behind me. "If you call Don I'll just run away with him. I'll be sad to go, but I'm not going to leave him again. I went with you four years ago and have paid the price every day since. This time I'm choosing my happiness, not your hatred."

If I didn't think it would make the situation worse, I would have applauded for Kitten. It was so good to hear her stand up for herself. Justina looked at us slack-jawed, trying to figure out a good comeback. My hands were at my sides, and I felt Kitten's fingers slip into mine. They were so soft, and I squeezed them as gently as if they were made of eggshells.

"We're going Mom. Don't try to stop us." Kitten's voice was determined. She walked around me, her hand still in mine, and pulled us through the door. She put her lips to my ear and whispered, "Let's go back to your place. It's closer."

It took all my willpower not to pick her up and carry her to the car. But it's a good thing Kitten can run in heels.

 _This is the last T-rated chapter, I'll change it to M when I post the next one. So make sure to either follow the story or change the default filter to find it next time._


	10. Chapter 10

Bones

I have to say, I'm not sure which felt more amazing; Telling off Justina after all these years or Kitten telling me she wanted to leave with me. Wait, nevermind. I'm sure which one felt better. I was tempted to grab Kitten and fly back to my place, but I still hadn't told her about that ability yet, and I had other skills I wanted to put to use. I'd settle for breaking every traffic law on the books, and a couple laws of physics if I could manage it.

Kitten clutched my hand while I drove. It made it a little trickier to drive at my breakneck pace, but there was no way I was going to let go. I pulled into my driveway, and didn't bother to get out on my side, that would involve breaking contact with Kitten for at least half a second while I went around the car. Nope, instead I used all my vampire speed to open her door, hop over her, unhook her seatbelt, and get her out of the car. She squealed with delight as I lifted her up in the air, then she hooked her legs around my waist and kissed me. It was sweet and tender and filled with longing. I wrapped my arms around her back and returned the kiss with all I was worth.

I didn't bother with unlocking the door. One hard twist on the knob and it was open. Getting out my keys would mean more time not touching her; and no locksmith charge was worth that. I carried her up the stairs and laid her gently on the bed, our lips never leaving each other as I managed to kick off all my clothes. Cain, I had dreamed of this moment so many times. A few times an hour for over 4 years. My fantasies had been wide-ranging and imaginative, but I didn't think I could wait for what it would take to be truly creative.

It's a good thing no one ever actually re-wears a bridesmaid dress. I wasn't going to wait to take it off the proper way, instead I let my mouth trail down her jaw, throat, and clavicle. When I reached fabric I just ripped it away, exposing more of her creamy flesh. She had filled out a bit since I had last seen her, and I relished it. I began to tease her right nipple with my tongue, while my left hand explored the other. My right hand I ran up and down her leg, each time getting closer and closer to her core. When her right nipple turned bright red, _oh how I loved doing that_ , I switched to her left breast and played with that one until it was the same color. She moaned and her hands ran through my hair, urging me onwards and downwards. I was happy to oblige. I ripped away the last vestiges of her dress and trailed a stream of kisses down her stomach. When I finally passed the patch of dark red curls, I admit I took a moment to stare. I had her in my arms, writhing with pleasure. After so long, I was finally home.

Cat

 _How had I ever left this man? How had I given up the opportunity to have this feeling all the time?_ It felt so right being here, in his bed, with his flesh upon mine. I closed my eyes as he teased my nipples, and waited with breathy anticipation as he went lower. I hadn't felt like this in years, since that horrible morning when I had left. But he obviously hadn't lost his touch. When his head reached my loins, he stopped for a moment. I looked to see what he was doing. His eyes were bright green as he stared at me, and my nipples were bright red from his teasing administrations. For a moment I was reminded of a traffic light. I giggled in delight.

"What's so funny, luv?" he asked as he gave me a long, slow lick. I shuddered with sensation as my body felt tendrils of pleasure hitting every nerve. For a moment I couldn't speak, but while this felt amazing, I wanted to be touching him as much as he was touching me.

"Nothing. But I want to return the favor." I made my mouth into an O and inserted my index finger, slowly pulling it out.

"You don't have to do that. I love this all on its own." He said, but his expression was hopeful. He gave another long lick, then looked at me for confirmation. I beckoned to him.

Is a second we had switched positions. He lay beneath me, his lips wrapped around my clitoris, sucking and teasing. I lay over his body, my breasts at his waist, and his throbbing cock next to my head. The first thing I did was let my hair fall down over my face, and swayed my head back and forth. My soft hair swept along his upper thighs as I nuzzled and licked his head. He was standing at full attention now, and I took him in my right hand as I lowered my mouth onto him.

I felt his entire body tense as I took him into my mouth. I dribbled saliva down his length, spreading it with my hand. While I took him in as deeply as I could, he was too big to fit completely. My hand made up for that as it stroked him in rhythm with my lips.

With every lick and caress he returned the favor. It was amazing, we both responded to each other's actions, creating a feedback loop of sensation and pleasure. I squeezed his perfect ass with my left hand, then lightly grazed him with my teeth. He moaned at that and spread my cheeks apart gently.

Bones

All my fantasies of what it would be like to be back with Kitten could barely hold a candle to what it was actually like to have her. She tasted even sweeter than I remembered, and I absolutely loved reacquainting my tongue with every crease and crevice of her body. When she first took me in her mouth I thought I would cum right then and there, but it felt too good to risk her stopping. So I held it off as long as I could. I wanted us to cum together, and it took all 240 years' worth of practice to control myself.

I felt her teeth graze me, and I nearly lost control. I nuzzled my nose into her depths. She smelled so rich and complex, and I craved having her scent all over me. But if I wanted her to cum with me, I'd need to bring out the bag of tricks I'd picked up as a whore. As her teeth grazed me, I carefully spread the cheeks of her perfect arse, and caressed the outside of her star. I didn't push in, but I did apply pressure. She moaned even louder and squeezed harder. I couldn't take it anymore. I wrapped both arms around her waist, pulling her closer to me. "Kitten, I'm cumming" I gasped out before returning my upper lips to her inner ones, gently puncturing them with my fangs and releasing the hallucinogen into her bloodstream. She screamed in rapture as I exploded into her, and she collapsed, writhing in pleasure, onto my body. I don't think I've ever felt anything better.

Cat

Ho-ly shit, that was amazing. As I came Bones injected me with liquid fire to my core, and I sucked at him as he joined me in orgasm. I'm not sure how long I was thrashing around, but afterwards I was gasping for air, and my throat was sore from all the screaming in ecstasy. I lay prone on Bones' taught body, my hair splayed across his legs. I swallowed the cum I still had in my mouth, and the high blood content in it healed me on its way down. I looked back at him, his mouth and nose still slick with my juices. He had a look of pure contentment on his face and his eyes were drinking in every inch of my bare back. I rolled to the side, no longer on top of him but keeping my hand on his leg, my fingertips teasing his still hard erection. In a moment he was on top of me, whispering in my ear in a throaty rasp.

"Oh, Kitten. I loved that. I can't tell you how much I loved that." He lay his head on my shoulder, one hand rubbing my arm gently. "I've felt like I had a hole in my gut these four years. But now I feel complete again."

My eyes started to tear up at that. I had caused both of us so much pain, but now we were together. He looked up into my face, and I saw that his eyes were pink with tears as well. I had rarely seen him cry, he didn't even when he got hit by a car going 60 miles an hour. I lifted his face to mine, and kissed away the tears from both eyes. Then I moved to kiss his mouth, clutching him tightly to me as hard as I could. His arms wrapped around me as well, and for a moment we two monstrously strong creatures held each other with all our bone-breaking strength.

I reached down and massaged Bones' ass with one hand, and ran my fingers through his hair with the other. He responded by reaching down and flicking at my still-sensitive clit with a speed that a Hitachi Magic Wand would envy. I arched my back in response, and he started to probe me while sucking on the skin at the base of my throat. He thrust his hips, but kept his erection pressed lengthwise against me instead of entering yet. I grabbed his head and whispered harshly in his ear "I want you in me. Now." He was happy to oblige.

Bones

" _I want you in me. Now."_

How long I had ached to hear those words. I put one hand under Kitten's head to hold my weight, the other vibrating against her nub. Then I pressed myself into her so slowly I could barely stand it. She was so tight, as tight as she had been our first night together in the cave? That didn't make sense. But I really wasn't in a position to think about that right how. Right now I was reveling in the fact that I was in my favorite place in the world, and that I held on to woman I loved more than my undead life itself.

As I pushed further in her velvet walls opened up to me. I thrust in a hair's breadth at a time, then came out and pushed back in a tiny bit further. Kitten wrapped her arms around my head, pulling my body down to kiss her harder. My tongue explored her mouth, my fangs very gently scraping against her. She tasted of my seed, and I of her wetness. They mingled together as I pushed further in. I kept my eyes open, wanting to see every expression on her face. When she cried out "Harder, faster" in panting gasps I increased the speed and force. She was still so tight, and I didn't want to hurt her, but she seemed to revel in it.

Her fingernails raked down my back, drawing blood from scratches that healed instantly. When she whispered in my ear "I want to be on top" I flipped us over before she could blink. From this angle, her breasts jiggled lusciously with every thrust. Then she started to rotate her hips like she was using a hula hoop. It made her pussy swirl around my cock, and it was unbelievably erotic. She clenched down, making her even tighter than before. It was too much for me, and I came again, pushing in a few final thrusts and never taking my hand off her clit. She followed a moment later, shuddering and screaming as she fell down across my chest, her whole body heaving. I wrapped my arms around her back, put my cheek against hers, and promised myself I would never let her go.

 _I've had a ball with this story. I've been working on a project of re-writting book 3 from Bones' point of view, but I'll only keep going with it if I have a lot of people that want to read it._


End file.
